10 PhD positions (m/f/d) in Sustainable Metallurgy (Experiment & Simulation)

for three years.

Experimental and computational projects available at the International Max Planck Research School SusMet in Germany at the partner institutes

• Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, Düsseldorf
• Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim/Ruhr
• Ruhr University Bochum
• University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg

What we do

Our structured, three-year doctoral program, conducted entirely in English, takes an intensive interdisciplinary approach and brings together scientists from across the globe in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region of Germany.

Metallurgy has provided humankind since more than five millennia with materials, tools and the associated progress. It is not only a huge engineering success story, but has also become the biggest single industrial environmental burden of our generation. Disruptive innovations are required for alternative reduction processes that convert mineral ores into metals without today’s carbon based methods that release huge amounts of CO2. SusMet focuses on the exploration of carbon-free sustainable metallurgy, employing hydrogen as reducing agent, direct electroreduction (electrolysis) and plasma synthesis.
Correlating experimental, ab initio and multi-scale simulation as well as machine learning techniques is central to our mission:

• Development and application of advanced simulation techniques to explore and identify the fundamental structures and mechanisms occurring in these materials and their synthesis over all relevant length scales (e.g. cutting-edge ab initio methods, atomistic simulation methods, multi-scale modelling, machine learning)
• High resolution analysis, monitoring of chemistry, structure and transformations at the atomic scale of buried interfaces and defects by correlated experimental techniques in both space and time (e.g., correlated APT, TEM, FIM, EBIC, EBSD, XPS Kelvin probe microscopy, machine learning augmented analysis techniques)
• Experimental and computational analysis of transport and the reaction of surfaces and particles with reducing and oxidizing gas-phase species (e.g. laser-based imaging diagnostics, setup of model reactors, modeling of underlying reactions, multiscale simulation of reactive fluids, computational fluid dynamics)

We particularly encourage applications from candidates with a computational background.

What we offer

• Cutting-edge research in a dynamic work environment
• Well-structured curriculum and close supervision of the PhD projects including regular status meetings
• An international and open-minded community with outstanding opportunities for collaboration
• At the Max Planck Institutes: TVöD 13 65%, about 38.000€ gross per year; At the University Duisburg-Essen: TV-L 13 65%, about 38.000€ gross per year; At the Ruhr University Bochum: scholarship of 2.050€ net per month

Your profile

• Excellent master’s degree in materials science, physics, engineering or chemistry
• Very good English knowledge

Required Documents

• Motivation letter
• CV
• Bachelor's and master's degree certificates and transcript of records
• Certificate of very good English knowledge (IELTS, TOEFL, or similar)

Application deadline: 31.10.2024 (Please apply online. We don't accept applications via post or e-mail.)
Starting date: 01.01.2025 or individually later